In an unpublished opinion, California Oak Foundation v. County of Tehama (2012) 2012 Cal. App. Unpub. Lexis 3970, the California Third District Court of Appeal affirmed a decision denying petitioner’s request for attorney’s fees on the basis that their successful challenge to a golf course community project, which Tehama County approved in 2006, did not significantly benefit the general public. The court also affirmed the order to discharge a writ of mandate requiring Tehama County to consider certain evidence as it related to I-5 mitigation fees to be imposed on the project.
The court had previously issued a writ of mandate requiring the county to comply with CEQA by considering evidence brought forth by the county’s economic consultant pertaining to I-5 traffic mitigation fees. In 2010, the county reapproved the project without any changes, on the apparent basis that the decline in home prices between 2006 and 2010 made higher fees to mitigate I-5 traffic infeasible.
After the county reapproved the project, petitioner brought suit seeking attorney’s fees incurred during the first case, and also arguing that the trial court improperly discharged the writ because the county employed flawed reasoning when it considered I-5 mitigation fees. The court denied petitioner’s attorney’s fees request. Because the county reapproved the project without any changes, petitioner’s lawsuit conferred no significant benefit to the general public. Because no significant benefit to the general public resulted from their lawsuit, petitioner failed to satisfy a requirement for attorney’s fees to be awarded in such a case. Next, the court held the county acted reasonably when it concluded the lower home prices in 2010 made higher I-5 traffic mitigation fees infeasible. Because the county articulated reasonable grounds for its conclusion that higher I-5 mitigation fees were infeasible, the county complied with CEQA and the writ of mandate was properly discharged.
Written By: Tina Thomas, Chris Butcher and Grant Taylor (law clerk)
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